Pilgrimage to the Alamo a reminder of Fiesta’s purpose

Wreaths lay on the Alamo lawn in memory of the fallen heroes of the Alamo. BENJAMIN OLIVO / MYSA.COM

The night of the opening ceremony, Fiesta Commission president Sam Steves urged the crowd to try a new Fiesta event this year. He said, “You never know, it might become one of your favorites.” Like anything, Fiesta revelers tend to do the same things year after year.

Steves’ comment struck a chord with me, and so I decided see the Pilgrimage to the Alamo, an event that pays homage to the Alamo heroes, held annually by the Alamo Mission Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas since 1925.

Monday afternoon, I arrived at the Alamo at 3 p.m. There were metal folding chairs sitting empty in rows to the left, right and in front of the chapel. A couple of hundred people were there waiting, as well. We waited as the names of the Alamo heroes, along with their birthplace, were called over the PA system.

Thirty minutes later, the procession, which formed at Municipal Auditorium, began making its way down Alamo Street. And what a procession. Dozens of historic, civic, military and school groups formed the slow and somber line as it entered the plaza from the south. All of Fiesta’s dignitaries were there. One by one, members of each organization laid a wreath on the lawn in front of the Alamo. All you could here were the names, clanking medals and wind.

After the wreaths were placed, and the pledges of allegiance of United States and Texas were recited, Lt. Gen. Guy Swan, Fiesta’s military coordinator, gave a rather moving speech, reminding the audience why Fiesta is celebrated every year.

“Right here on this hallowed ground, the legacy and heritage of Texas, and indeed of our nation can be felt in the soil, the air and in the hearts of the people of this great state,” Swan said. “The spirit, the men who believe in something bigger than themselves, and who fought and who bravely died here to attain it, endures here forever.”

The pilgrimage has been held since 1925. The original event paying homage to the heroes of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto is the Battle of Flowers Parade. It was first held in 1891.

Continue for photos of the pilgrimage from decades past:

Members of the Battle of Flowers Association wait to lay their wreath in front of the Alamo in 2008. EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO

The Pilgrimage to the Alamo in 1967. EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO

The Pilgrimage to the Alamo in 1973. EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas make the pilgrimage to the Alamo in 1985. EXPRESS-NEWS FILE PHOTO